Prime Minister Mark Phillips on Wednesday reaffirmed the government’s push to transform Guyana into a digital economic hub as he addressed the opening of the 3rd Technology Conference at the Guyana Marriott Hotel.

Held under the theme “Operational Excellence Through Digital Transformation,” the conference brought together policymakers, industry leaders, and technology practitioners to examine how digital tools can improve productivity, efficiency, and competitiveness across the manufacturing and services sectors.

In his address, Prime Minister Phillips commended the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA) and its ICT Subsector Committee, along with the American Chamber of Commerce in Guyana (AmCham Guyana), for organizing what he described as a timely and practical forum.

“This conference therefore provides an essential platform for dialogue, learning and collaboration,” he said, adding that it brings together policy makers and professionals in the field to strengthen resilience and support long term growth.

Phillips also reaffirmed the government’s commitment to fostering an environment where digital innovation can thrive.

The Prime Minister urged manufacturers and service providers to fully leverage digital tools such as automation, cloud computing, e-commerce, and enterprise resource planning systems.

Minister of Public Service, Government Efficiency and Implementation, Zulfikar Ally explained the government’s practical embrace of artificial intelligence.

He pointed to the rollout of Ask Gov, Guyana’s official virtual assistant for 24/7 access to government procedures and services, along with the imminent launch of Citizens Connect, a smartphone-based platform for reporting and tracking issues.

“We will soon launch within the coming days Citizens Connect, a platform that allows individuals to submit issues directly to government for intervention through the use of their smartphones, allowing it for digital pathway for reporting, tracking and timely responses from government,” the minister said.

Minister Ally also revealed that skills training remains a central pillar of the government’s technological advancement approach with over 2000 GOAL scholarship students being trained in ICT over the past 5 years. 

The Minister also revealed that this year alone 11,064 persons have met the qualification of the GOAL scholarships and will receive their emails of acceptance tomorrow.